Role Projections For Eagles Rookies
The 2019 NFL Draft came and went. The Eagles got themselves, five brand new rookies, to work with.
Andre Dillard, Miles Sanders, JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Shareef Miller and Clayton Thorson bring the 2019 class to a tie with the 2018 class for smallest in team history ever since the seven-round draft was instated. The small amount of players, however, does not make this class any less intriguing.
Andre Dillard, T, Washington State (22nd overall)
In a perfect world, Dillard probably wouldn’t see the field at all in 2018, instead of making the most of his practice time with greats like Jason Peters and Lane Johnson to hone his craft. However, Peters has struggled with injuries in the last few seasons, and the team – as this pick shows – doesn’t trust swing tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai with a long-term role, so in the event that Peters gets injured again, it only makes sense to play the rookie. Dillard is a highly polished pass protector, which fits perfectly with Doug Pederson’s pass-happy offense. The ground game will likely suffer if he has to play early, as he needs development in that area but, if Dillard has time to develop, he’ll be a worthy heir to The Bodyguard.
Miles Sanders, RB, Penn State (53rd overall)
In a somewhat surprising move, the Eagles took Sanders in the second round even after trading for former Chicago Bear Jordan Howard. He has a chance to become the team’s first true feature back since Shady McCoy, but as a rookie his workload should come in more of a change-of-pace back, splitting time with Howard, Corey Clement, and Wendell Smallwood. After year one, however, when both Howard and Smallwood likely leave in free agency, Sanders has legitimate workhorse capabilities.
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford (57th overall)
Mr. José Joaquín projects as yet another above-the-rim playmaker for the Eagles offense, along with Alshon Jeffery, Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, and Mack Hollins, all of which are at least 6’3″. He is deceptively quick and uses his exceptional route running to get a positioning advantage and constantly win on 50-50 balls. In year one, he’ll likely be used as a red zone specialist, with the size and strength to overpower opposing DBs and give QB Carson Wentz another big target. Down the road, Arcega-Whiteside brings versatility to the Eagles cap management, as him being almost a carbon copy of Jeffery allows the team to part ways with the veteran if the youngster develops as intended.
Shareef Miller, EDGE, Penn State (138th overall)
Miller is a speed rusher, who uses his explosive first step to get around blockers. He’ll likely not see the field much in year one, especially if Chris Long comes back, but will be a nice developmental piece for the future, considering that the physical tools are all there. Look for more contributions out of him in years two and three.
Clayton Thorson, QB, Northwestern (167th overall)
Arguably the most polarizing Eagles pick among fans, Thorson gives the team another developmental QB to groom into hopefully a capable backup behind Wentz or even a trade piece down the line. He fits the Wentz mold as far as their style of play, being a big, strong pocket passer with sneaky athleticism. Thorson brought Northwestern to the Big 10 Championship Game in 2018, so he has a winning history in his career so far. The only way he sees the field early in his career as an Eagle, however, is with a complete injury disaster in the quarterback room.
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Categorized:Eagles